Ipswich Town Vs Swansea — Mehmeti, Azon and Hirst Inspire 3-0 Home Win as Top-Two Chase Intensifies
In a decisive Portman Road outing that mattered for the promotion race, ipswich town vs swansea finished 3-0 as Anis Mehmeti, Ivan Azon and George Hirst found the net. The result tightened Ipswich's pursuit of an immediate return to the Premier League and left Swansea struggling to respond on the road.
Match summary: three clear goals and control from kick-off
Ipswich opened rapidly when Anis Mehmeti drilled home from just inside the box after a left-sided surge led by Leif Davis. The early opener arrived within minutes, with Mehmeti giving the home side the perfect start on the third minute. Ivan Azon doubled the lead late in the first half with a curling, acute finish from a tight angle. George Hirst, introduced as a substitute, completed the scoring 16 minutes from time after Mehmeti dispossessed Josh Tymon and squared for Hirst to steer home.
Ipswich Town Vs Swansea: key moments that decided the game
Several moments shaped the win: a half-cleared low cross from Davis that fell to Mehmeti for the opener; a disallowed Swansea equaliser when Gustavo Nunes was flagged offside after Melker Widell's low delivery; and a set of strong saves by Christian Walton and later interventions by Lawrence Vigouroux that kept the match under control. Mehmeti's tenacious play also set up Hirst's goal, and the man-of-the-match performance underscored his influence throughout.
Tactical picture and individual contributions
Leif Davis's forward runs down the left proved decisive, combining with Dan Neil in early flowing moves. Azon, on loan from Como, was effective in the box and finished a sweeping low strike to make it 2-0. Goalkeeper Christian Walton produced important saves to deny Malick Yalcouye and Liam Cullen as Swansea pushed, while Ipswich’s defending held firm late on. Swansea’s substitute Zan Vipotnik, who began the day on the bench, struck a free-kick against the bar with the last kick of the game, their best effort in the match.
Table implications: gap to second cut, games in hand highlighted
The victory cut Ipswich's gap to second place to three points. Ipswich remain fourth but now have a game in hand on second-placed Middlesbrough and have played two fewer than Millwall, who sit third. The result was Ipswich's second comfortable win over Swansea this season after a 4-1 away victory in November, and it was their second successive league win and third in six matches — a timely run as the run-in approaches.
Home form, squad notes and broader context
This was Ipswich’s first home outing since January and their return to Portman Road followed four straight matches on the road. Charlton Athletic remain the only visiting side to have won at Portman Road in 2025-26, and Ipswich have now recorded an 11th victory in 17 home league games since they dropped out of the top flight last May. Ipswich have scored 59 league goals this season, a tally bettered only by the division leaders, Coventry City. Jack Clarke began on the bench for Ipswich and Jaden Philogene remained absent through injury. George Hirst’s finish represented his eighth goal of the season and his second in successive matches.
Swansea reaction and remaining concerns
Swansea slipped to 16th and their away struggles continued, marking a ninth defeat in their past 11 away fixtures. The visiting side showed fight at times, creating chances and testing Walton, but they could not produce a sustained response after falling behind. A late free-kick thumped the bar, offering a brief glimpse of what might have been.
With Middlesbrough set to visit Birmingham City on Monday, Ipswich now sit in a favourable position with fewer matches played than any other side in the division. The result strengthens their top-two prospects as the final phase of the season approaches. "A good performance. I thought the boys went at it with a lot of humility, recognised exactly what the opponent was and what we needed to do. " "It was certainly hard work, no doubt about that. "
